In the state of the art, sill mouldings are already known that are designed mainly to absorb minor impacts such as hitting a curbstone while maneuvering, or a lateral impact against the bumper of another vehicle at low speed.
It is known that the top portion of such a sill moulding can be required to support the weight of a passenger, for example when the passenger stands on it in order to secure an element to the roof of a car, or when the vehicle is high-wheeled and it is necessary to step on the sill moulding in order to climb on board.
In order to avoid the sill moulding sagging, it is common practice to reinforce it by means of internal metal brackets that reinforce the connection between the sill moulding and the body frame of the vehicle. Those brackets are generally fastened to the body frame and to the top portion of the sill moulding.
With such a sill moulding, there is a problem in the event of a violent impact, whereby bending of the sill moulding leads to deformation of the brackets, which then press against the vehicle door and prevent it from opening. Such blocking of doors can be particularly dangerous, especially in the event of the vehicle catching fire.